Can I fill my car with any oil or is it car specific?

[hsffdd]

Worried… I know nothing about cars and no idea which oil to use. It’s a Skoda octavia

Every car has a handbook either a physical or digital version.

If it's a petrol, 10,000 miles seems to be the interval. You should have it done annually, even if the mileage is less than that specified, as the oil degrades over time.

If it says the oil is low, it needs oil
If it says oil change the. It needs changing
Check the servicing schedule as they can vary between 10k-21k and 1-2 years

There is no engine light on. Would that come on if a problem? I have a service booked in three weeks time.

Why do you think it needs oil?

What are you worrying about? If there are no warning lights and you've got the car booked in for a service in three weeks everythings fine!

@hsffdd - is a YouTube video showing how to check the oil level in your car, using the dipstick.

Unless it's had synthetic oil in the past then normal oil from anywhere should be OK, just don't buy seriously cheap oil! Depending on the age of the car and its service history it may be worth the first time having it flushed and refilled, the garage should be able to tell you if it's synthetic or not. Good luck, it's pretty easy to do, just don't try and refill it through the dipstick hole!!!

No! Don't do this. There are different viscosity oils for different vehicles. Read your manual which will tell you exactly.

I would always aim for annual oil + filter change, or every 10,000 miles, whatever comes first. It’s relatively cheap maintenance and better to treat your engine nicely. Follow the car manufacturer specification for the oil.

God, there is some duff advice on here!

OP, your car has done 38000 miles so its very unlikely to have an oil leak. It was serviced a year ago when the oil would have been changed for fresh clean oil.

Its now due a service where it will be checked and changed.

(The reason the oil is changed at a service is that as the engine wears, minute particles of metal get into the oil and make it dirty. The oil is drained from the sump at the service and refilled with the correct oil to the correct level.)

You SHOULD as a matter of course check the oil via the dipstick every month or so, there are markers on the stick for high and low and the oil level should be somewhere in between. Check when the engine is cold and the car on a level surface.

Check your windscreen washer level at the same time, along with tyre pressures and you are all set.

The handbook in your glove box will tell you all this and the correct tyre pressures for normal and heavy load.

There is no engine light but it does say ‘oil service in 100 miles.’ I will be driving more than 100 miles before the service?

The simplest way to find out is to go to the Halfords website, search for engine oil and give it your car's registration number - it'll tell you exactly what you need. Don't buy anything else, the viscosity is hugely important to the continued health of the engine.

For older or less common cars it can be a bit hit-or-miss, but for more commonly-seen models like yours it should be bang-on.

It's not just about the oil level, though, but rather how dirty the oil is - the more impurities and crud it's picked up, the less effective it's going to be (and the more it's going to be redistributing that crud around the engine, in places it really shouldn't be).

I tend to replace the oil and filter in mine every 5k miles or so, but that's mainly because I've got a 20+ year old MG, and it needs to be babied if it's going to make it another year...every year.

If you have it booked in then it will be fine even if you go over 100 miles ,the garage will check which oil to put in.

They should do an oil change as part of your service.

You do not say whether your car is petrol or diesel.
Car Engine Oil Finder | 5w30, 10w40 and More | Halfords UK

This will let you find the correct oil
Please do not bung anything in it
If you really cannot cope with this then ring your garage.

Likely to be 10W-40 with the age of your car based on mileage

Ladies please we all should be able to do basic car care- top up oil, screen wash, check tyres for tread, know where your jack and locking wheel nut is, change a tyre in an emergency. It is easy to learn and not rocket science and it is all about your safety.
While I am on my soapbox- sorry- please also keep an emergency kit in your car in case you get stranded

Emergency Breakdown Kit, 76 in 1 Multifunctional Roadside Assistance Car Breakdown Kit with Jumper Cables, Tow Rope, Triangle, Flashlight, Safety Hammer, etc : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive

No need to worry about that, it's a rough guide. If you're booked in for a service soon, that's OK. I think you should learn how to check your own oil levels with the dipstick though. It's not difficult!

Oh, and the oil light and the engine light are different things. The oil light looks like an oil can and the engine light looks like a mysterious flying submarine 😆

Its fine, its approximate. The light will be reset at the service, its just a reminder.

You have a service booked, you seem to know nothing about cars so please leave this alone. If you're concerned, phone the garage and ask if they have a sooner slot for the service.

That light is timed to go on based on time/distance. It's not a diagnostic message.

If you're worried about your oil, you can check it with the dipstick. But it should be fine. If it does get to a critical state, the car will show you a red warning light.

Red warning lights mean stop driving. The car will either not move or severely restrict itself by going into limp mode. Amber warning lights mean look into this but it's ok to drive.

Service lights can be amber or white but again, it's just programmed to come on to let you know to book one. Don't panic.

Thanks everyone. I do get very anxious.

@Tagyoureit i wanted to leave it alone as you’re right, I have zero knowledge! I tried to get an earlier slot but that was the earliest they had. There is no actually engine light on.

@hsffdd it will be ok.

Yeah it's fine
Mine has been telling me it needs a service for 6 months as it flags it up on a year since the last one (I work for a garage)

For a slightly different perspective, an oil change is probably 15-20 minutes' work even if you're doing it for the first time. Maybe 30 minutes of research first (finding the right oil, watching a couple of videos on how to do it), £40 in tools (ramps, a catch can and a handy gadget to help you remove the oil filter) and then you can do it forever more on any car you have, without getting spendy at the garage.

Short of changing the wiper blades, it's probably one of the easiest jobs to do on most cars with the least potential for catastrophic error.

I'm no mechanic, but I'm amazed that more people in general don't do it themselves.

ideally your oil and oil filter should be changed at least 12 monthly.